Steve and BYU Football - Together At Last

Three seasons is a long time my friends, a long time for this guy to go without going to a BYU game.  I can't tell you how many of the games he hunted for  a website to watch them on when they weren't broadcast on the channels we had, the frustration from pixelated images that would cut out even when our internet connection was bad.  This guy has been DYING for the live, there-in-the-stadium games for a long long time.  So when we've ended up back here in Utah, he immediately bought season tickets.  Can you guess where we were for the first home game? :)  Just look at this face....
 

One Happy Guy :)

Feeling right at home :)

He was like a kid on Christmas on steroids and loved every second of being there!  We soaked in the smells, sounds, crisp air, and complete feel of football.  It was a great day - a very great day. 

Since it was 9/11 for the game, they did some beautiful tributes to our countries and the lives lost from the crashes of 9/11.  I loved it.  Oh how I love our country, and BYU.
 

They had the military and both football teams hold the flag for the national anthem :)

We will never forget 9/11

Rise and Roar :)

The game itself was fun - the first half was great until BYU let their guard down and then the rest of the game we just hoped we could stay ahead.  It got pretty freezing after half time - we were up in the nosebleeds, but who cares when it's BYU football!  Steve thought he should have worn shorts when we first got to the game, but was freezing by the end.  I remembered to bring my sweatshirt, beanie, and gloves knowing how Utah cools down quite a bit even when it's hot during the day.  

Steve's extended family was there too - they like to get tickets in the upper south end of the stadium for sentimental reasons - Steve's grandpa had life season tickets up in that section until he died.  It was a lot of fun being with everyone. :)  A great, fun date! 

The fam :) Jake and Dre, Uncle Kent, Ian, Davis and his friend, Spencer, Olivia, Steve, Kyle, Sara, Lucy, Aunt Kaye, Claire, Uncle Kimo

Left side, Tracy with her baby Landon and Luke watching through binoculars and listening to the radio in one ear ;)

FHE At the Movies!

We got brave and decided to accept Grammy Joanne's and Grampa Stan's invitation to go see the new movie, Planes Fire and Rescue, at the Spanish Fork movie theater (best place!  $3 movies, $1 for popcorn and candy, and they never show rated R shows - LOVE it).  

We had a lot of fun with Grammy and Grandpa.  Ruby was quite happy to eat a fair amount of popcorn while sitting, and then enjoyed a sucker (have I mentioned she's a sucker for suckers?....this is what happens when you take one away from her...)

and did well for the first 50 minutes of the movie.  Grandpa was nice and took her out to run around for about 20 minutes and then she did well sitting on Grandpa's lap for the rest of the movie.  

Ross - well - he was a professional.  He had his eyes glued to the screen the entire time and was consistently eating popcorn through the whole thing, asking for more even when the movie was over ( I think my kids have sugar and salt addiction problems ).  He had a great time and would be happy to go back again the second we asked.  It was a fun FHE :)

Rubest is the Cutest is what Grandpa Stan always calls Rubes - they do quite well together. :)

 Ruby LOVES her grandpa.  One Sunday we went over to visit and Grammy and Grandpa were coming back from a walk so we waited on their front porch.  When they rounded the corner, Ross and Ruby decided to run to meet them.  Grammy was in front and reached out for Rubes who immediately darted around her and ran right for grandpa, while chanting, "Papa! Papa!"  Little stinker.  She still loves my mom, but loves her grandpa's - just like Ross.
I think my kids have a sixth sense who's the softiest, give in, you can have whatever you want, person in our families.  My kids always go for Steve when it's seeing what they can get away with.  :)
 

Ross in the zone...

He won't even look in the camera! :)  Haha

 

My Baby Sister's Baby Shower!

Well my little not-old-enough-to-have-a-baby-let-alone-be-married sister (okay I guess she's allowed to grow up) is having a baby!  She's due the 24th so of course we had to throw a baby shower for her little boy coming to join the family. :)  

My great friend, Kim, designed the invitations and we had some yummy food to serve all our guests.  We had a great turn out despite the worry that it was labor day weekend.  Rachel got some great stuff and we played the celebrity baby name matching game (which everyone, including myself who made it, complained it was too hard).  But there were some WACKO names that I hope don't scar those children for life!  Names like Kal-el from Superman, Moxie Crimefighter, Pilot Inspektor, Egypt, Moon Unit, Tu Morrow - seriously people.  It's not pretend!  Anyway - we played it, people won, we ate food. ;) Then we ooed and awed over the cute presents Rachel got and visited some more.  Nothing like a good baby shower to make you hungry for a baby!

Cousins Amy and Kayla with Rach in the middle :)

Rach's friend Savannah

Aunt Celia and Aunt Lapriel

Grandma Staheli, cousins Chelsea, Shalyese, Kylee, and Kaitlynn

Kylee, Stephanie, Aunt Karen with Haylee, and Rach playing musical chairs for pictures :)

Presents!

Jessica, Chelsea and Kylee

Our cousin Chelsea who's in Jr. High made these ADORABLE booties from knitting - it inspired me to learn how to knit - I have now made a horrid looking oven mitt, but I'm learning!  I loved these booties :)

Toys :)

Hawaiian blanket from me, Claudia and Beka :)

A cute little baby guest for the baby shower, helping unwrap presents :) Also notice Claudia's freshly pedicured feet (a present we gave her for mother's day and she cashed in on - we were all regularly told to admire her feet) ;)

CUTE outfits!

Grandma Staheli had this cute soft blanket made.

Mom got Rach this SWEET diaper bag I was super jealous - she'll be styling carrying that baby around!

Baby books are a must

Rach with her old roommate from Snow college :)

Prego sisters - have I mentioned Baby Bee #3 is on its way in my little family too? ;)

Enjoying Friends

We've managed to do some fun things with friends lately.  My friends, Maren and Suzy, and I planned to go up to the new Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point for $2 Tuesday thinking since school was starting, no one would be there....

I should have taken a picture.  We got there and didn't even park or get out of the car.  The line was WELL out the door (like a 45 minute wait) and we decided Cabella's would be just as much fun.  The kids loved the fish, seeing the animals and shooting the guns. ;)  We even found a great dog kennel the kids wanted to be locked in and played on the pillows for a good 15-20 minutes while we chatted.  
 

The kennel was only $600 - worth it for both entertaining AND containing?  I think so. ;)

After we went to this delicious place called The Wild Zucchini Grill.  I got a cheese pizza for Ross and Ruby to share and a salad for me.  Ross ate the pizza and Ruby ate my salad (what babies prefer salads?).  I'm pretty sure it was because it seemed more grown up.  That girl LOVES to eat with grown up utensils, eat grown up food, color with and on grown up things, and walk around like...she's all grown up.  The only time she seems like a baby anymore to me is when she is sleeping in her crib.  And then my heart breaks for her to be little again.  She skipped toddlerhood altogether I think.  
 

Love these faces :)

 

Ruby has certain shoe choices as well - batman slipper, and church shoe - totally match!

Ross and Ally loved dancing around to the music and holding hands (way too precious).

Later Steve and I went to see a play, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers where I was boggled to see that the town men were better dancers than the actual 7 brothers.  It was still a fun play to see and be with my cute husband.  

Have I mentioned that man is a working machine?  He has some crazy long days and then comes home and immediately plays outside with the kids or with their toys, wrestling and chasing them (I love it), and then spends time with me before he crashes the second his head hits the pillow, only to start again at 5:30 the next morning.  He's such a hard worker.  Love that man.
 

Have I ever said how to DIE FOR CUTE overalls are?  I LOVE them.  Ross likes them too and asked to wear them three days in a row. :)

Love this face :)

Love THIS face :)  Steve LOVES her hair hanging in her eyes.  I think it makes her look like an orphan child - he won't let me cut it, so it gets pinned back with bows to appease the Daddy AND Mommy. :)

Monkeying around

Slash working out :)

Wheelbarrow rides are the best :)

Especially if you go fast enough :)

The next week we played with more friends - my Oregon friends were in town - one on internship, the other for a wedding, and we met up at Wheeler Farm.  It was so fun seeing our kids running around together.  Ross had a decibel level of about 10,000 the entire time, yelling at Davin to come see this or come look at that.  Cute Paige slowly followed them along - oh that girl melts my heart.  I got to see Kendra and Michelle's cute babies that are now walking and just getting too big too fast.    We enjoyed the animals, the sun, and lunch (guarding the youngest ones who were holding their crackers and sandwiches and getting stalked by extremely large geese and ducks who have no fear of people).  OH how I miss them.  It was such a fun day.  

This girl can pull of pigtails now and I LOVE it - yes she found ANOTHER stick :)  but look how happy she is :)

Ross loves climbing

Chicken coop kids :)

The babies :)

Saying bye - we love our friends!

Kendra, Me and Michelle - love my Oregon friends! (And our matching sunglasses on head look) :)

The kids - pulling faces :)

Got most of the smiles :)

We had a BBQ with our friends that evening, the Dille's and Young's (who were in town from Georgia), and our kids ran around playing loving each other while we talked and ate forever.  I loved every second.  Oh it's fun to play with friends. :)

That weekend I took Steve to the Storytelling Festival.  If you haven't ever gone, you're missing out - it's fabulous, and just once a year.  We went to laughin' night at the Scera Shell which was sold out and LOVED the stories they told.  There's nothing like a good storyteller.  I started going to this festival with my mom since I was 5 years old - ever since it started.  This year was the 25th anniversary.  

OH, and today my deliciously handsome husband brought me home ROSES, just because he loves me.  Now I should tell you this is a big deal coming from Steve since he thinks flowers are nonsense - and roses are way too cliche (yes I'm a bunch of nonsense and totally cliche - I LOVE flowers, especially roses), but he knows they make me happy so he gets them for me.  It's the little things people - even if you don't understand them and think they are cliche. :)  The little things make the most in marriage. :)  And I have a GREAT one.  

This boy makes me feel like a queen - LOVE him :)